PPB February 2018

It’s Tradition High schools in the U.S. boast dozens of traditions, many unique to individual states and campuses. Check out some of these time- honored activities, many of which have lasted several generations. Senior Skip Day Whether a sanctioned or “unofficial” event, seniors at high schools across the country take a day off to engage in some good old-fashioned hooky. Torch Run Members of the cross-country team at Fremont High School in Utah start at their rival high school and run a 17-mile relay back to their home stadium, often covered in blue paint (their high school’s primary color). Senior Pranks Ranging from silly and simple to expertly planned and executed, senior pranks have been a hallmark of high school life. Entertainment site BuzzFeed’s list of epic pranks includes letting pigs loose inside a school, placing a car on the roof of another school, putting a school up for sale on Craigslist and hiring a mariachi band to follow a school principal around. Speedo Dash In California, the Cupertino High School water polo team makes a mad dash across the football field just after the Homecoming king and queen are crowned—wearing only their Speedo swimsuits. Homecoming Mums The flower-ribbon combinations that are ubiquitous throughout Texas have grown in size and sparkle over decades. Early versions simply featured fresh chrysanthemum heads pinned to ladies’ shirts. Now, homecoming mums run the gamut from simple silk flowers adorning stretchy headbands and beribboned arm garters for the gentlemen to weighty, multi-flower, multi-ribbon, light-up masterpieces on sashes. The marketing campaign she created brought in an extra $50,000 that year, and the school received so many compliments that the school began to take note. After that, she helped establish an online spiritwear store and has since served other departments’ marketing needs. “With the experience I’ve gained with this one school, we’ve been able to move forward with confidence in the school market,” she says. Peyton explains that many schools often face the same basic problems. “There is not usually one single person at the school whose job it is to promote school spirit through internal spiritwear sales and to stay informed about the school’s branding and individual department apparel needs,” she says. Time constraints are also a challenge. Peyton says school officials often have no time to take extended meetings, so distributors should be ready with samples and case studies of past projects when they meet with school clients. “Be clear in how you communicate, send quotes in a timely manner and follow up,” Peyton adds. Market Snapshot In 2017, an estimated 51 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. Nearly four million high school seniors are expected to graduate this year. In 2015, 69.2 percent of graduating seniors entered college the next fall. 24.4 million Caucasian 13.6 million Hispanic 8 million African American 2.8 million Asian/ Pacific Islander 1.5 million Multiracial 500,000 American Indian/ Alaska Native Student Ethnic Demographics, 2017-2018 The public school system in 2014-2015 was comprised of 13,600 districts that included nearly 98,200 public schools—including 6,700 charter schools. 3.2 MILLION $23.5 BILLION Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers employed by public schools in 2017. Projected expenditures for the 2017-2018 school year, or $12,300 per student. Source: National Center For Education Statistics | FEBRUARY 2018 | 29 GROW